We tried a Star Wars-inspired martial arts class with LED lightsabers

Participants engage in a form of combat which combines traditional methods and theatre.

"We’ve tried to create a place where people can come regardless of the styles that they might be familiar with and where they can continue their investigation of the truth of combat," the Academy co-director and co-founder Faisal Ahmed Mian told Business Insider.

The classes are meant to teach discipline and mindfulness through physical exercise. They use a combat system called Eight Spheres Geometry.

"The system is universal. Boy or girl, big or small, old or young - it doesn’t matter. The system will adapt for the individual," said Mian.

The lightsabers were specifically designed for the class as a safer alternative to traditional combat swords. They are made from hollow polycarbonate and aluminium, and the starting price for one is £100.